Typical business and residential telephone systems are limited in the array of services which are offered to a telephone user. This shortcoming can be based on limitations (1) in the telephone instrument itself or (2) in the switching network to which the telephone instrument is connected. For example, some special services might not be supported by the switching network's software or hardware.
Even if a special service is supported by the switching network's software and hardware, a user normally establishes and accesses the special service (1) by using one or more preprogrammed control function keys of the telephone instrument or (2) by entering a touchtone command sequence through the telephone instrument's numeric keypad. Although a control function key usually is more convenient for the user than a touchtone command sequence, the telephone instrument might offer only a fixed array of such control function keys for establishing special services.
Moreover, previous techniques typically fail to automatically configure a telephone to offer the user only those services which are actually supported by the switching network. Instead, under previous techniques, the telephone is manually configured. Each time a service is modified or added to the system, the configuration is manually repeated.
Thus, a need has arisen for a method and system for configuring a telephone, in which a user establishes and accesses a special service by using one or more control function keys of the telephone. Also, a need has arisen for a method and system for configuring a telephone, in which the telephone offers a variable array of control function keys for establishing special services. Further, a need has arisen for a method and system for configuring a telephone, in which the telephone is automatically configured to offer the user only those services which are actually supported by the switching network.